This past week in sport was all about the Australian Open as far as I’m concerned. In the women’s tournament Victoria Azarenka completely destroyed Maria Sharapova in 2 sets and in the men’s tournament we were witness to the longest Grand Slam finale ever. It lastes almost 6 hours and after 5 hard fought sets Serbia’s Novak Djokovic beat Rafael nadal by a whisker. Also featured this week are skiing, speed skating, football, NBA and gold. I think next week we’ll be talking about the NFL Super Bowl. [61 photos total]

Billed as "the toughest race in the world," the Tough Guy 2012 competition took place yesterday in Perton, England. Every year, thousands of men and women tackle the course, which is described on the Tough Guy website as eight country miles filled with freezing mud and "barbed wire, cuts, scrapes, burns, dehydration, hypothermia, acrophobia, claustrophobia, electric shocks, sprains, twists, joint dislocation and broken bones." Gathered here are some images of the fun had by the tough competitors in this year's event. [27 photos total]

Coal occupies a central position in modern human endeavors. Last year over 7000 megatons were mined worldwide. Powerful, yet dirty and dangerous, use of coal is expanding every year, with 2010 witnessing a production increase of 6.8%. Around 70 countries have recoverable reserves, which some estimates claim will last for over a hundred years at current production levels. Mining for coal is one of the world's most dangerous jobs. While deadliest in China, where thousands of miners die annually, the profession is still hazardous in the West and other regions as well. Our mining and use of coal accounts for a variety of environmental hazards, including the production of more CO2 than any other source. Other concerns include acid rain, groundwater contamination, respiratory issues, and the waste products which contain heavy metals. But our lives as lived today rely heavily on the combustible sedimentary rock. Over 40% of the world's electricity is generated by burning coal, more than from any other source. Chances are that a significant percentage of the electricity you're using to read this blog was generated by burning coal. Gathered here are images of coal extraction, transportation, and the impact on environment and society. The first eight photographs are by Getty photographer Daniel Berehulak, who documented the lives of miners in Jaintia Hills, India. -- Lane Turner [48 photos total]

4 Days to go and January 2012 is history. Time flies when your having fun or working hard. Week 4 of 2012 so a bit of everything. Some more Costa Concordia stuff, loads more news on Republican Presidential candidates having a war of words with each other, the one year anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution and let’s not forget the fight against the European equivalent of SOPA called ACTA. [60 photos total]

For the first time ever, young athletes gathered Jan. 13-22 in Austria for the Winter Youth Olympic Games. The event began with traditional opening ceremonies for more than 1,000 competitors from more than 70 nations. Ranging in age from 14 to 18, they competed in the 15 core events held at the Olympic Games. Keep an eye out for the names you see here, as they may appear again in Sochi, Russia, during the XXII Winter Olympics in February 2014. [29 photos total]

A massive demonstration of Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo today to mark the anniversary of the uprising that eventually led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak. Political divides are still in force with liberals and Islamists differing on their visions for the future of the country. Mubarak is now on trial for complicity in the deaths of protesters. The uprising in Egypt last year was one of the initial protests of what is called the Arab Spring, which has included the slaying of Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy and the ongoing protests in Syria. [31 photos total]

Yesterday I decided to try an experiment: I solicited reader requests for news photos. I asked people on Twitter and Google+, "Would you like to see a good photo of a particular subject? A high-res version of a photo you've already seen somewhere else? A photo from a particular photographer or event? If I have access and can find it, I'll try to post it" (details). The response was great, the subject matter was varied, and the task of finding the images and composing this entry was great fun. Images ranged from massive solar flares to tiny insects, taken in places from Thailand to outer space. If you enjoy this experiment, let me know in the comments, and I may develop it into a more regular feature. To all those who made requests, thanks so much, I hope you like what I was able to find. [29 photos total]

The 100th edition of the Australian Open tennis tournament is currently underway in Melbourne. Players from all over the world have been competing in the heat of the Australian summer, hoping for a win -- this year's singles champions will take home $2.4 million dollars (U.S.). Matches are progressing today into the semifinals, with the final matches to be played on January 29. Collected here are some colorful glimpses of the 2012 Australian Open. [34 photos total]

Chitwan National Park is a national park in Nepal and is famous for it’s elephant safaris. [20 photos total]

This is our second Sports Photos Of Week installment, we’re hoping to make it a Monday tradition. The review of week 03 features loads of tennis from the Australian Open, loads of football from the European games, skiing pics and some important NFL play-off images. See you next week and let us know your thoughts. [61 photos total]